Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
“Do we know what to expect with their ground crew?” Austin asked. “These are the highly trained troops?”
“Yes. Think mercenaries, but much more effective. These troops are on Momar’s payroll, used as needed for a variety of situations. Destroy shifter packs, for example. They’ve been trained to deaden their emotional response to massacres. Mercy is not in their vocabulary. They can all fight hand to hand or with specialized weapons, and they fight brutally. Viciously.”
“Sir, may I?” Broken Sue asked, his arms clasped behind his back in a way that showcased his bulging muscle. I could tell he was staring down the barrel of his past. I understood his struggle with emotion. Even so, he clearly wasn’t backing down.
“Go,” Austin said.
“Freezing out those mages is the only thing that matters. Taking away their magic is seventy-five percent of the battle, no matter who’s in their ground crew. My pack could’ve handled the grunts, even five to one. It was the magic that did us in.”
Ulric raised his hand. “Is everyone forgetting that we have fliers? Freeze up the mages, and we can fly right over the ground crew and take the mages out. That then frees up our mages for attacking the ground crew, which we can then help with as well.”
“Their ground crew aren’t just grunts,” Sebastian said. “It would be a mistake to underestimate them. And they have weapons that can take down fliers.”
“All due respect, weird mage,” Nathanial said, “but we aren’t just average fliers. We’re gargoyles. Their weapons are nothing.”
Nessa smiled at him. “And now we’re seeing how the stubborn streak in gargoyles can really benefit a team.”
“It’s settled, then,” Austin said. “Our mages will counter theirs until the gargoyles can dismantle the mages entirely. While that’s progressing, my pack and the rest of the Ivy House crew will take on their ground team until the mages can back us up.”
Sebastian shook his head. “Either you guys aren’t really hearing me or your courage is completely off the charts.”
“Or they’re as dumb as rocks,” Niamh said before taking a gulp of her drink. “Either way, we’ve got no other options. Unless we want to hike back to Ivy House, hope we make it ahead of the enemy, and take them on while we’re attacked by flesh-eating gnomes.” Another gulp. “What’s the timeline on retiring Edgar fer that gnome fiasco?”
“Yes,” Edgar said solemnly. “I really have stuck my foot in it with those gnomes. The dolls aren’t as effective as I’d hoped. We’re running out of spare parts to repair our fallen soldiers. There really is no excuse, Miss Jessie. It’s a dereliction of duty, and I should finally be put out of your misery.”
“Seriously, Niamh, don’t get him started.” I rubbed my face. “I don’t think we have the time to go back to Ivy House even if we ignore the reasons we didn’t want this battle in town in the first place. They were on the move incredibly quickly. No offense to our team, but they seem a lot more organized than we are.”
“I must express my sadness at this new plan,” Dave said. My brain really was having a hard time calling him that. “I wanted my family to witness the greatness of Ivy House. They are so intrigued about you. I have talked to many who are eager to learn more. If they saw you in battle, it would really flare their nostrils, I know it. The elders might remember the thrill of the fight. I think it would be the final straw to entice at least some of them out of the safety of the wood, I really do.”
“I understand that. But the decision to fight is one they have to make on their own. We can’t force it on them. We can’t endanger your family, bas—Dave.”
“Does anyone else think calling him Dave is absurd?” Ulric whispered. “I like Buln’dan. That’s badass.”
“But someone might overhear us calling him that. Like at the bar or something,” Jasper replied just as quietly. “Then we might piss him off and get our arms pulled off for our trouble.”
“True. But what about on Ivy House—”
“Focus,” Nathanial barked, and it was the first time I saw him go hardcore alpha on them. It couldn’t have been the first time he had, though, because both guys immediately closed down all chatter and looked almost remorseful as they did so.
“You are correct, Miss Jessie,” Dave said. “I was not thinking. Hoping, but not thinking.”
“Okay.” I put my hand on Austin’s shoulder for no real reason. “So then, on to the scary part. Any tips and tricks to explaining this to the lead basandere?”
“No.” Dave stood and rolled his shoulders. “Honor dictates that I must fess up to this. I will take this up with her.”
“We should start running then, so,” Niamh said, before finishing her drink and moving to stand.